Guardian targets American audience

The Guardian plans to expand its print and online presence in America as part of its ambition to become the biggest liberal voice in world media.

"Our ambition is to be the leading global liberal voice," Carolyn McCall, the Guardian Newspapers Limited chief executive, told delegates at the the World Newspaper Congress in Moscow.

Speaking later, she said huge interest in the Guardian from Americans gave the newspaper an opportunity to expand.

"We will be announcing quite soon our plans for America, which will include expanding on the web, signing up people in the States, and we are also going to do print," Ms McCall said.

However, she would not reveal details about the Guardian's plans to publish a print edition in America.

News of the Guardian's plans came after the Times said it will start printing an American newsprint edition in New York on presses used by parent company News Corporation to print the New York Post.

Ms McCall said that like the Times Online website, Guardian Unlimited was very popular in America.

"There's a real market for liberal journalism in America, given that there seems to be a large group of people that are very attracted by our coverage on the web, and part of that is because they cannot really get that kind of voice from their own media for a variety of reasons.

"The opportunity is for the Guardian to reflect what the world is saying about America but also to bring [blogging website] Comment is Free into America so that you can get an engaged discussion on things that interest America in an intellectual and intelligent way."

Ms McCall said there was now "space" for the Guardian on a global stage.

"I think there is space for it now. You look at other players that would have occupied that space and in some way or another they have been undermined or weakened."

The company is selling advertising in America and using the internet to target readers geographically.

"That's doing quite well and we intend to expand that."

Ms McCall said DVD promotions in newspapers had lost their innovative promotional purpose.

"It has become a war, one after another after another. It has clearly lost value It drives sales for one day a week - it does not get you loyalty."

The Guardian recently ran a series of educational wallcharts with pictures of birds, fish, butterflies and sharks that boosted sales by 130,000.

"For me the entire thing about marketing a communication with readers is getting them to stay with you. The wallcharts were one example of something that did that. They weren't just practical and useful, they were very educational," Ms McCall said.